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Feather Identification
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Feather Identification
- From: <agkistrodon@mindspring.com>
- Date: Fri, 09 Aug 2002 17:02:33 -0400
- Cc: ward.tomr@epa.gov
- Reply-to: agkistrodon@mindspring.com
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Anyone have a reference to a good detailed key to feather identification?
I have a feather found about 20 Meters from a pond that I think may be a Great
Blue primary remige (I think it's illegal to have it so if it is, I'll take it
back to the pond) but am not sure. Here's a description but I can send
individual digital pictures if anyone wants them.
The obviously asymmetric feather is 14 and 3/4 inches long overall and
slightly curved. The calamus is 3 inches from inferior to superior umbilicus.
The anterior vane is about 3/8 inch at its widest point (just above the
plumulaceous part). The anterior vane runs pretty much consistently at this
width the length of the feather. The posterior vane has an enlarged area
proximally that is about 1 and 3/4 inches wide, being fairly uniform at this
width before it slopes toward the rachis at about 5 inches above the superior
umbilicus. Then the posterior vane narrows to about 1 inch for the rest of
the length.
Overall, the vanes are distinctly and uniformly brown except for the widened
aspect of the posterior vane. This is rather dark brown proximal to the
rachis but lightening to a light tannish at the margin. Other than this, the
vanes lack color variation (there are no marginal colorations at all nor are
there any bands or spots). The distal part of the rachis is a rather dark
brown with moderate yellowing. The yellowing intensifies proximally to about
2 inches above the superior umbilicus then darkens again to the superior
umbilicus but then whitens and is transluscent to the end.
The plumulaceous vanes are very small and white. Only a few barb rami (maybe
8 on each side) are plumulaceous.
Any ideas? Want the pictures?
Jim Sutton